Display package



Feb. 4, 1969 T. A. STIFFEL 3,425,540

DISPLAY PACKAGE Filed Nov. 22, 1967 United States Patent O 3,425,540 DISPLAY PACKAGE Theophile A. Stilfel, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Stiifel "Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 22, 1967, Ser. No. 685,091 US. Cl. 206-38 8 Claims Int. Cl. B65d 73/02; A44b 7/00; A45c 15/00 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved display package comprising a backing member with a transparent plastic window covering secured thereto, with the packaged product positioned between the backing member and wind-ow, and means on the backing member to permit separation of the backing member so that the contents of the package may be removed through said opening and through the rear of the display package.

This invention relates to an improved display package.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a display package for packaging products or merchandise in which the product is visible through the front window of the package and in which the packaged product may be removed from the rear of the package by providing an opening in the backing member.

The packaging of various products or merchandise between a backing sheet or card and a preformed or preshaped transparent plastic window has proved to be very popular and is on the increase due to the fact that the contents of the package is visible at all times, which enhances the sale of the product. However, one of the disadvantages of such a display package is that it is diflicult to remove the contents or the product from the package, which in most cases has to be done by tearing the plastic window or front of the package or by ripping, cutting or tearing the backing card or backing sheet therefrom. Considerable effort and some strength has to be expended, and women find it particularly objectionable in that their fingernails and/or nail polish can be damaged. Further,'the display package is destroyed and cannot be used should the person desire to use it as a temporary container for the product. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a display package with means on the backing sheet which may be easily and readily manually manipulated wit-h little effort to provide an opening through which the contents of the package may be removed therefrom without in effect destroying the package. This permits the package to be used as a coritainer for storing the original packaged product or other products. Also, the fingernails are not damaged.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a display package embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a rear view with the strip partially pulled down to form the separation in the backing or mounting card of the package;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but with the strip ,pulled completely down and showing the manner of separating the backing card for removal of the packaged product.

FIG. 5 is a partial view, looking at same from the rear, of a modification, and

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of another modification.

ice

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the preferred embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, the display package comprises a backing member or backing sheet 10 formed preferably of a stiffened material such as cardboard or the like. The backing member is scored along its length with spaced score lines, indicated by the numeral 12, to provide what will form a centrally positioned strip 14 which is adapted to be removed for the purpose of dividing or separating the backing member along its longitudinal center. The scoring lines 12 need not extend through the thickness of the backing sheet 10 but should extend through a sufficient thickness of the backing sheet so that the logitudinal strip 14 may be formed when manually pulling same by engaging the top.

The top of the backing sheet may have spaced cuts 16 provide a short tab 18. The cuts 16 are in alinement with the serrations or scoring lines 12. In fact, the tab 18 is the uppermost portion of the strip 14.

The merchandise or product in the display package is here shown in the form of a table lamp base and is indicated by the numeral 20. It is covered by a transparent plastic film or sheeting 22 which forms a front covering and a window for the product. The covering 22 is secured to the backing sheet 10 to enclose the product and protect it in its packaged condition. The plastic sheeting 22 has sufficient rigidity to maintain its preformed shape and extends forwardly of the backing sheet 10 and is secured to the backing sheet in the conventional manner wellknown in the art. The packaged product 20 is held firmly and immovably between the plastic sheeting 22 and the backing sheet 10. While the product here shown is a table lamp base, the display package is not limited to only such a product but may beused for any product or merchandise which can be packaged in a display package in accordance with this invention.

The packaged product is shipped and sold in the manner displayed in FIG. 1, and as viewed from the front, the display package appears to be identical to the conventional display package. It is the rear of the display package, as best seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, which differs from the conventional display package. When the purchaser desires to remove the packaged product from the display package he manually engages the upper tab 18 and pulls downwardly, as shown in FIG. 3, to the bottom of the backing sheet. This removes the strip 14 and divides the backing sheet 10 into two separate sections 10a and 10b, separated by a space or recess 24 therebetween. A person can then widen the opened or recessed split by placing his hands on the opposite split ends, as shown in FIG. 4, and separating same and through the separation can remove the contents from the package through the rear without disturbing or having to break the plastic window covering 22 at the front. This provides a very simple and inexpensive manner of packaging and/or removing the contents without the necessity of defacing or breaking the plastic covering.

FIG. 5 shows a modified display package in which the backing member 26 is formed of two cardboard sections 28 and 30 with the inner edges thereof abutting against each other. A string or cord 32 is positioned between such abutting edges and same is covered by a strip 34 of paper or the like which is secured to the two sections 28 and 30 of the backing sheet and overlays the string 32. The top of the string extends above the top of the backing sheet. The product is packaged inside the plastic covering as previously described. To remove the packaged product, the string 32 is manually grasped and pulled downwardly thereby cutting the superimposed strip 34 and exposing the abutting edges of the backing sections 28 and 30, which can then be readily manually separated so that the packaged product may be removed through the opening.

FIG. 6 shows another modification in which the backing member 36 is formed of two sections 38 and 40, each of which has Zipper interlocking fastening elements 42 along their inner longitudinal edges. They are closed or interlocked by a slidable coacting member 44. By moving the slidable member 44 downwardly the zipper interlocking elements 42 are disengaged so that an opening is provided between the two sections 38 and 40 and the packaged product may be removed from the rear, similar to that shown in FIG. 4.

It will be understood that while the foregoing describes a backing member which is adapated to be split centrally and longitudinally, that the invention embraces a backing member which may have a diagonal split or a transverse split. Also, the backing member may be scored to provide a square, rectangular or other shaped configuration which forms a section in the backing member which may be removed from the backing member to provide an opening through which the packaged product is withdrawn.

I claim:

1. A display package including a backing member and a covering member formed of a transparent material fixedly secured to said backing member to prevent sliding of said backing member relative to said covering member and forming a container for a packaged product to be positioned between said covering member and said backing member, without any intermediate member between the covering member and the backing member, said backing member having means for centrally splitting said backing member and providing an opening therein directly accessible into the interior of said package container and through which the packaged product may be removed.

2; A display package as defined in claim 1 in which the means for centrally splitting the backing member is a removable strip formed from the same material as the backing material.

3. A display package defined in claim 1 in which the backing member is a sheet of paperboard or the like, provided with spaced score lines which defines a strip which may be detached from the remainder of said backing member to provide the central split of the backing member and form an opening through which the packaged product may be removed.

4. A display package as defined in claim 3 in which the strip has a tab at its end for manual engagement.

5. A display package defined in claim 1 in which the central split extends from the top to the bottom of the backing member.

6. A display package defined in claim 1 in which the backing member is formed of a pair of sections, means overlaying said sections for joining same together, said overlaying means adapted to be split for separating said backing member.

7. A display package defined in claim 6 in which a string is used to split the overlaying means.

8. A display package defined in claim 6 in which the sections are secured by means of interlocking fastening elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,517,801 8/1950 Roush 229--515 2,993,590 7/1961 Denton 206--78 3,250,387 5/1966 Jacobson et al 20678 JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner. 

